


Understanding Each Other

by AceofGhosts



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: ByHardt week 2020, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route, Fluff, Grief/Mourning, One Shot, They/He Linhardt, They/Them Pronouns for My Unit | Byleth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:48:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24706351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceofGhosts/pseuds/AceofGhosts
Summary: Byleth is struck with grief after their father's death. Linhardt sees a new side to his professor.
Relationships: Linhardt von Hevring/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31





	Understanding Each Other

**Author's Note:**

> I have a they/he pronoun headcanon for Linhardt! I use them interchangeably.

The Guardian Moon. Day Four. Byleth just lost their father to Monica… no… to a monster. Their eyes were dead, more devoid of emotion than they'd usually be. Everywhere they walked, students, staff, and soldiers alike would express their sympathies. It meant almost nothing to the professor. Even Edelgard’s speech of moving forward fell upon empty thoughts. Byleth felt hopeless.

Wandering the monastery with no destination, Byleth fell upon the cemetery. It was a small area. There, they found Bernadetta at the top of the stairs, a bouquet of flowers in hand. The professor seemed to catch her attention.

“Professor… I came to bring flowers to Jeralt… Jeralt’s grave.”

Byleth forced themself to speak. It was like trying to lift a boulder. “Thank you,” they mustered. Then they realized something. “You're out of your room…”

Bernadetta looked away. “Yes… I thought I shouldn't run away from this, as I do for everything else.” She started towards the bottom of the stairs. “Anyway, I'll go lay them out.”

Byleth began to walk away, when Linhardt caught their eye. Linhardt was standing just outside the vault, their eyes holding a glint that meant they'd gotten themselves into some trouble in the name of research. The student noticed Byleth eyeing them.

“Oh, Professor! I slipped into the vault and looked around for anything useful. There are people who want to kill us, you know.”

Byleth looked away.

“Don't give me that look--er, don't look away from me like that! Asking for permission at a time like this would be pointless. All that would matter is forgiveness. Anyhow, it seems the knights have already taken everything useful. But I managed to find some Crest-related items… that I'll put back! If they aren't useful--”

Linhardt’s rambling came to a halt. Byleth wasn't looking away because of his actions. Byleth was looking away because they were in pain. They were shaking. 

Linhardt reached out tentatively. “Professor…?” His hand nearly rested on Byleth’s shoulder before they ran off.

Something told Linhardt that they needed to follow their teacher. Walking in the direction of where Byleth ran off to, they were unsurprised to find the Ashen Demon in their quarters, their head on the desk. Somehow, Linhardt could tell Byleth wasn't alone.

“P-...Professor…” Linhardt began. Byleth raised their head to see their visitor. Tears were rolling down their red face.

Linhardt didn't know what to do. He'd never seen the professor like this. He'd viewed them as fearless. A wild animal that you couldn't predict. Unstoppable, mysterious, alluring…. Right now, they looked all but helpless. Linhardt knew that the professor was only around his age, and was, in short, a child, but he still felt odd to see them so grief-stricken.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Byleth stood. They faltered in their step as they tried to greet Linhardt, and they started to fall. “H-hey!” Linhardt exclaimed. He caught Byleth in his arms and steadied them. Looking at the professor so closely… 

Linhardt let go and admonished Byleth. “Be careful! You don't want… to get hurt…” Their voice trailed off. The professor was crying again.

“I-I-I’m sorry! I just…” Linhardt sighed and guided Byleth to the bed. “Come, let's sit down.”

Byleth stared at the floor, their face empty with grief. They said nothing.

“This has been hard on you, hasn't it?” Linhardt began. “I can't imagine it would be easy to lose your father. In fact, I should apologize.” The last sentence caught Byleth’s attention. They looked at Linhardt, confused.

The student laughed. “Ah, I suppose you don't know what I mean.” Looking upwards, he explained. “I've never been good at sympathizing. I am always lost in my own interests, insensitive to others. I was being such earlier, wasn't I?”

Byleth shook their head.

“Professor, how could you think--”

“I admire it!”

Linhardt stared at their professor with surprise. 

“You… admire what?”

“I… I admire how you can move past grief so easily. You don't let anything stop you from doing what you want. You  _ stole from the vault _ , for crying out loud! I wish I could be as headstrong as you.”

Linhardt couldn't believe what they were hearing. 

“You can't possibly believe…”

“I can.” Byleth’s grief seemed to be replaced by determination, or rather, admiration.

Linhardt blushed “I… this discovery has worn me out. I need to sleep on it, but… my room is so far… away….”

The student yawned. Byleth got up to close the door to the room. They smiled.

“You can rest here, if you want. In fact, I think I need one, too.”

They both fell asleep, resting on each other's shoulders.


End file.
